President Tsai Ing-wen said Feb. 21 that Formosat-7, a group of six satellites jointly developed by Taiwan and the U.S., will strengthen the nation’s capabilities in such areas as disaster preparedness and meteorological monitoring while spotlighting its space technology prowess.
Set for launch later this year from Kennedy Space Center, the satellite constellation is an initiative between the National Space Organization and U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It marks the largest collaborative project of its kind between the two sides, Tsai said.
The constellation’s primary mission is to gather weather and ionospheric observation data on low- and mid-latitude regions. According to the president, this will boost Taiwan’s contributions to global research in fields spanning climate change, disaster prevention and relief, and sustainable development.
Tsai made the remarks during a visit to NSPO in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu City to inspect the satellite program. Formosat-7, an initiative under the government’s 2004-2018 space technology development plan, is set to take over from Formosat-3, which was launched in 2006 and has collected more than 10 million atmospheric profiles.
The upcoming deployment also follows the successful launch in August 2017 of Formosat-5, Taiwan’s first wholly homegrown ultra-high resolution Earth observation satellite.
Tsai described Formosat-5 as a major milestone for Taiwan’s space tech industry and a clear demonstration of the nation’s R&D capabilities in remote sensing satellites. Taiwan is committed to expanding its expertise in related fields, as underscored by the new 10-year, NT$25.1 billion (US$814 million) space technology development program approved by the Cabinet Jan. 15, she said.
Under the plan, NSPO is tasked with producing an additional 10 satellites by 2028. These efforts will further strengthen the nation’s Earth observation capabilities and bolster its role in global space tech industry supply chains, Tsai added.
According to NSPO, Formosat-7 is capable of capturing 4,000 atmospheric and ionospheric profiles of tropical and subtropical regions each day, about three to four times the amount of Formosat-3. The increased data sets will enhance the country’s weather forecasting accuracy, the organization said.
Established in 1991, NSPO is administered by the National Applied Research Laboratories under the Ministry of Science and Technology. It is dedicated to becoming a center of innovation for space technology and conducting domestic and international space programs. (CPY-E)
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